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You wouldn’t tell someone with anemia that their fatigue is due to lack of faith, so why should you say that to someone with depression?

It really frustrates me the way that people are so quick to point fingers at those suffering with mental illnesses, particularly depression. Let’s consider an individual who is anemic. They are constantly feeling tired and weak. A person who is depressed would generally feel the same way. So the difference here would be the cause of the fatigue, the anemic person being drained by inefficient bodily function, and the depressed person being drained by inefficient brain function. Inefficient brain function, meaning that the brain does not work in a way that allows the individual to think in an ordinary manner, the same way inefficient bodily function limits the ability of the body to behave in an ordinary manner. Do you notice the similarity here? Is the person in control in any of these cases? Hell no. So why is the person with depression made guilty for the way they feel, while the anemic is not?

People need to understand that psychological illness is brought to life by countless factors. I am in no way denying the fact that ones level of faith plays a role in the formation of depression, but it is important to note that it is not the only fish that swims in the ocean of someone’s mind. People need to understand that mental illness blurs rationality, sometimes to the extent that having faith in God seems completely pointless.

For this reason, it is honestly pathetic to blame someone’s depression on their degree of religiousity, and it is also illogical to rely solely on faith to lift them from their misery. Again, I am not disregarding the healing power of God. But this is when we have to bring the anemic patient back into the story. Would you expect their anemia to be cured purely through their increase in faith? Ofcourse not. Maybe their increased faith will help them accept their disease, but their body will not function as it should if they do not take necessary action as advised by their doctor. The same applies for depression. Necessary action needs to be taken so that the brain can go back to functioning properly, so that maybe then faith can seem more rational.

So the next time you think of telling someone suffering from depression that all they need is a little faith, remember that they may have forgotten what faith even means. Maybe instead of filling them with guilt for the faith that they lack, create for them an environment so supportive and loving that faith will come running back to them unexpectedly.

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"For far too long I have been trying to find the self love that everyone talks about, and far too many times I have failed. I think now I know why. I think human beings were not designed to love themselves. Look up the definition of the word love and you find that all definitions call for a subject external to the human soul. See, we can love certain aspects of our body, because they exist outside of the soul. One can argue that something like personality swims in the soul and since one can love for example, their sense of humour, self love can be achieved. But the self cannot be determined by personality because personality is not a constant. The soul however, is, and therefore it is the soul that is the essence of the self. So loving the self I think, is something beyond our capabilities. Other people can love us, yes. But we cannot ever truly love ourselves. So I do not think we should aim for self love. Let’s aim for self respect. Respect is defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary as “an act of giving particular attention: consideration”. Give your self the attention it needs. You need to be conscious of what makes you who you are. Understand your self, your soul. And then take action. You see, respect for oneself demands action, unlike love which is centred on emotion. Emotions cloud decisions, so do not let your emotions get in the way of how you treat yourself. You are human and one day you are bound to feel a sense of hatred for the being that is you, but that won’t determine your actions if self respect remains active. Give yourself some respect. You are here. You are alive. Despite everything, you have not given up. Respect that perseverance, and keep at it. Consider your soul in everything that you do. Forget love. Love is fragile. Respect is power."

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And if you wish to be blanketed by my soft petals,
you must be willing to suffer the jabs of my thorns.

You must feel them pierce your feet
as you climb the stalk that feeds off my roots,
and you must drape your virgin flesh
with the reds that construe me.

You must welcome the vividity in vulgarity,
so that once you are immersed in my petals
you are not blinded by bland vibrancy,
but celebrating intricate fragility.

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"…it was an impersonal sadness, things turning out badly not because of evil or maliciousness but through a sort of inherent fatality. Making even the most cherishable and sacred things seem so illusory, unstable, transitory."